Several years back we had mentioned the Bosch D-tect100 which was out in Europe at the time and how it would be in the US very soon… Well perhaps it was not so soon but finally the US version Bosch D-tect150 ($799, Ohio Power Tool) is on the shelves approved by the FAA! Yes apparently the radar is that strong it needed FAA approval no joke and that was the hold up.

So why would you shell out nearly 10x more for this model than the Bosch GMS120 ($69, Ohio Power Tool) which also is a wall scanner that detects wood and metal in concrete. We certainly do not want to take anything away from the GMS120 (see the coptool review) as it is a nice tool as well but these are 2 different levels. The technology of the D-tect150 is real radar, material being scanned displays much like a fish finder might provide actual depth and diameter of the material below. The accuracy on these units is not like anything else we have seen. Check out the video below for more information.

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 04:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the previous post we did a quick rundown of all the new Milwaukee Tools we got to see at the latest Milwaukee press event. Of all those items the most impressive to us was the M12 Thermal Imaging Camera 2260-21. This tool is a little outside the box for Milwaukee but it does stay true to their mission of providing the best products to their core customers. So most importantly how do the Milwaukee stack up against the competition?

Milwaukee M12 Thermal Imaging Camera 2260-21
Price: $2500 (Ohio Power Tool)
Temp Range: -10 to 350 C
Resolution: 160x120
View Screen Size: 3.5” 640x480
Image Capture: Thermal & visual
Accuracy: 2%
LED Lights: Yes
Battery System: M12, 30 minute charge

Flir i7 Thermal Imaging Camera
Price: $1995 (Amazon)
Temp Range: -20 to 250 C
Resolution: 120x120
View Screen Size: 2.8”
Image Capture: Thermal
Accuracy: 2%
LED Lights: No
Battery System: Internal, 3 hour charge

Fluke TiS Thermal Imaging Camera
Price: $2495 (Amazon)
Temp Range: -20 to 100 C
Resolution: 120x120
View Screen Size: 3.7”
Image Capture: Thermal
Accuracy: 5%
LED Lights: No
Battery System: Internal, 2.5 hour charge

Fluke Ti10 Thermal Imaging Camera
Price: $3999 (Amazon)
Temp Range: -20 to 250 C
Resolution: 160x120
View Screen Size: 3.7”
Image Capture: Thermal & visual
Accuracy: 2%
LED Lights: No
Battery System: Internal, 2.5 hour charge

As you can see the Milwaukee really stacks up very well against the other models in its price range. Even against the near $4000 Fluke model that does visual images as well, the Milwaukee still offers a larger temperature range, LED lights and higher resolution on the visual camera. As part of the Milwaukee M12 tool line batteries will never be in short supply, so down time is nearly eliminated. Both Fluke and Flir do offer the more reputable names in the thermal imaging arena but Milwaukee does have a 5 year warranty, the longest of any of them so we are confident they will stand behind their product.  
     

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 09:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We are not sure how many times the words “disruptive innovation” were used in the single day Milwaukee press event but certainly it was much higher than we could have counted. While we are still not 100% sure how their new products are disruptive; it was clear the guys at Milwaukee have been hard at work on the innovation side of things. With a narrow focus on who they have identified as their core customers in the areas of Plumbing, Electrical, Mechanical, HVAC & MRO (maintenance, repair, operations) Milwaukee has really seemed to figure out who they want to be when they grow up. Below are just a few examples of new products we were not sworn to secrecy on.

Corded Tools

With an entire new line of small angle grinders (18 in all) and several brand new SDS-Plus rotary hammers; 2010 is looking to be a pretty big year for Milwaukee corded products. It was not long ago Milwaukee had launched their current line of grinders so this update came as a bit of a shock for us. The new grinders however bring some serious internal improvements which could make Milwaukee grinders one of the top grinders in the near future. Some examples include larger gearing, more copper wiring in the motor (see below), overload protection, electronic clutch, electronic brake, just to name a few. All these improvements work together to significantly increase performance and durability in their small angle grinders.

On the rotary hammer drill side we were very impressed by the tiny new 5/8” SDS-Plus Hammer Drill 5263-21 ($179, Ohio Power Tool). Extremely light weight for overhead use and with the Anti-Vibration System (AVS) it’s almost hard to tell if you are actually in hammer mode. The D-Handle 7/8” SDS-Plus Hammer Drill 5262-21 ($189, Ohio Power Tool) was actually a bit of a disappointment for us. While it seemed to perform well against the competition, Milwaukee left off the Anti-Vibration System, for what we can only guess was pricing concerns. It is clear users want the AVS in their SDS-Plus rotary hammers, as it's in all their other models and would also have made them the only D-Handle with Anti-Vibration, a clear advantage over the competition.

Cordless Tools

In the Milwaukee M18 category of 18 volt tools we got a look at two new products we had been expecting for some time. The M18 7/8” SDS-Plus Hammer Drill 2605-22 ($429, Ohio Power Tool) does a real nice job coupling power, runtime as well as the Anti-Vibration System into this small package. The other M18 product we had been waiting for was the Calk Gun, having been the most popular cordless calk gun in the 14.4V NiCd version we were expecting a Milwaukee lithium ion tool at some point and having used the final product we were very pleased.

The Milwaukee M12 cordless category probably brought the most innovative new items of the day. The M12 cordless ratchet is a nice addition as well as the new 360 Inspection camera with 9” attachment & ball guide for snaking in pipes/toilets. The M12 jigsaw came as a pleasant surprise to us and we really liked the unique feel of the handle positioning. Our first thought was, could the 12 volt platform provide enough power but in use it really meet all our expectations and with an XC battery we would guess runtime would be pretty respectable.

The biggest shock of the day however had to be the M12 Thermal Inspection Camera 2260-21 ($2499, Ohio Power Tool) which seems like a bold step for Milwaukee to jump into this arena but certainly does fit in with their core customers. The camera really has some unique features which at their price point makes this camera a very attractive solution for those who haven’t yet made the investment in thermal imaging.

Overall

We were really impressed with the entire presentation at Milwaukee and not a single power point slide show to sit through. It is exciting as a user to see so many very application specific tools and a company willing to invest the time and effort into developing products that solve real world problems. Hopefully the strategy pans out for the folks at Milwaukee and we see many more years of these innovative new tools.
    

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 08:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

That’s right boys and girls it is that time of the year again for your favorite frankensteinesk sport, power tool drag racing, www.ToolRaces.com. This is the third year for the Columbus event and we could not be more excited about the all the great things going on. For KickStarters the Idea Foundry is expanding into the neighboring space for a total of 20,000 sq ft!!! The race on Saturday, August 2oth will mark the opening of the new space to the general public. The fun starts at 4:00pm then goes late with live music and lots of fun to be had at the official race after party.

Are You Not Entertained
For those with ants in their pants who don’t want to sit around all day not to worry there will be so much to do all day at the event including interactive demonstrations from idea foundry members in areas of welding, blacksmithing, metal casting, laser cutting, CNC Shotbot, glass bead making and much more! There will be various games for spectators including Power Box Toss (with Bosch prizes), 20+ art vendors, live entertainment, raffles drawings, delicious food trucks and a variety of adult refreshments provided with the support of our generous sponsors!

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 01:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ingersoll Rand is adding several new tools to their MAX family of premium tools later this year.  Two of these new tools are the Ingersoll Rand 118MAX and 122MAX air hammers which look to be very exciting new additions to the IR Air Hammer lineup.

MAX Comfort: Anti-vibration feature reduces tool vibration by over 30% when compared to standard air hammers in its class. Anti-vibration is a becoming a very hot topic among workers and employers as new regulations look to be coming down the pipe that will limit exposure to vibration. In Europe these regulations are already in place and tools with high vibration m/s2 are simply being replaced as there is no longer a place for them on the jobsite.  

MAX Power: 15% increase in impact force over standard air hammer which in turn means time savings. We would expect nothing less from an IR tool branding the MAX name.

MAX Productivity: Quick-change retainer allows for faster chisel changeovers, so you can get the job done. In many cases people purchase the less expensive air hammers then add an aftermarket hammer retainer ($45 Ohio Power Tool), with these new guns the retainer is built specifically to work with the tool for the longest life possible.

118MAX: Shank .401”, BPM 2500, Stroke 3.5”, weight 4.6 lbs, length 10.5”, Air Consumption 2.98 cfm, Vibration 5.7 m/s2

122MAX: Shank .401”, BPM 3500, Stroke 2.63”, weight 4.0 lbs, length 8.6”, Air Consumption 2.93 cfm, Vibration 7.5 m/s2

Kits are also available for these tools that will include a 5 piece chisel set and carrying case. These units are expected to hit shelves September 1st and should sell for right around $150 or less range. More info and pre-orders will be available shortly on the Air Hammers page at OhioPowerTool.com.
    

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 09:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is a pretty impressive gargoyle sculpture made entirely out of Bosch Accessories, a lot of them. We got a chance to see it in person not to long ago and it was really far more impactful than these pictures can do it justice.

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 10:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Plumb dot lasers are popular among plumbers, electricians, finish carpenters and many other trades for finding well plumb. This Johnson laser 40-6670 ($89, Amazon) is a fairly inexpensive laser tool with the complete package of self-leveling, locking off switch, carrying case and target included. As prices among laser leveling tools continue to come down we are more and more questioning the need for laser companies to have both a 2 and 3 dot laser in their product lines. At some price point it'll probably make sense to simply cut the 2 dot lasers all together. 

Traditionally Johnson lasers does an excellent job of bringing all the necessary components to a laser while still keeping the price very reasonable. Unfortunately on this unit we found it not to be as good of a value as we have come to expect from Johnson. First off the unit was more bulky than the competitors and would be less comfortable to wear on your belt with the carry case. Second the front magnet on our unit was not strong enough to hold the unit up without assistance, a pretty big problem in our book. Third while less expensive than the competition it is not really that significant considering a 3 dot Bosch GPL3 ($119, Ohio Power Tool) is smaller and provides much more versatility. All the 3 dot lasers we found, including other popular brands like PLS and CSTberger had identical ¼” @ 100’ accuracy, so in the way of accuracy the Johnson did perform equally to the others.
    

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 05:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For those who don't know, the Idea Foundry is a community workshop located in Columbus, Ohio. Currently at 10,000 square foot of workshop, educational center, hackerspace superieur, artist and business incubator as well as providing general public community access to all manner of tools (welding, woodworking, CNC machining, laser cutting, 3D printing, and more). 

On August 15th, the shop has the opportunity to expand into the neighboring industrial unit (additional 10,000sq ft). By doing so, will be able to split the workshop into a "dirty" space (current location) with welding, woodworking, metal casting, metal fabrication, CNC machining, and other dust- and chip-making processes; and a "clean" space (new wing) with, among other planned resources, a photographic dark room, a videography stage, a textile/upholstery, a proper lithography room for etching/engraving circuits, metal, and screenprinting masks, and about a dozen more studio spaces for artists. 

Several months back we had mentioned how Bosch has been setting up Bosch System Specialist or BSS Dealers around the country. In addition to some pretty nice displays and additional support these stores have also seen some really great deals. Currently there are 2 new deals which can actually be taken advantage of simultaneously however the catch is again these deals are good in-store only at select BSS locations.

The First Deal is for a Free Weber Q100 Portable Grill (valued at $150) you get instantly with the purchase on $500 worth of Bosch Tools & Accessories. At least $50 needs to be in Bosch accessories or RotoZip but all in all a very nice deal. These grills have received very good reviews and surprising large cooking surface for being so portable.

The Second Deal is a $100 (or $50) Mail-In Rebate on all Bosch 18V Cordless tools. The kits with the larger Fat Pack batteries included get the full rebate, while the kits with Slim Packs qualify for the $50 rebate.

What is amazing is that these deals can be combined to make a very aggressive argument for getting into some new Bosch cordless tools as well as making a trip to your local Bosch BSS account. If you are in or passing through the Columbus area stop in and see the guys at Ohio Power Tool and they will be more than happy to take care of you!   
    

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 05:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well sort of… It’s all one big happy family over at the new Stanley Black & Decker so as Black & Decker, DEWALT and we are guessing Porter Cable, eventually all go 20V MAX this is going to become a pretty common new voltage category. This new 20V drill/driver LDX120SB is only $75 brand new from our friends at Amazon but the kit only includes a single 20V MAX compact battery, always read the fine print. Obviously the DEWALT 20V MAX line is their top of the line professional tools while this drill is the economic option but still makes you wonder how much of the technology is shared for these 20V platforms?
   

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 08:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

 
Over at ProToolReviews there is a very nice article that breaks down all the most commonly used electrical tools and what each tool does as well as their price ranges. It is our thought that even a fairly novice handyman should probably have himself at least a voltage detector and multimeter. Here is a taste of their full article below…

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 11:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We went over several of the new Dewalt hand tools that were first introduced a short time ago. Since them we have had the opportunity to test out several of the additional new tools which had some nice features that do make the new Dewalt tools stand out from what is currently available as well as from their sister company and the Stanley Fat Max line.

Dewalt 8 Piece MM Hex Key Set – These hex keys are in MM sizes (1.5mm, 2mm, 2.5mm, 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 8mm) and a very heavy duty package. The bones of this tool are all metal but wrapped in a nice rubberized handle. The biggest innovation with this new hex key set is the locking positions in 90, 135 & 180 degrees, it seems so simple but this is a real benefit that has been overlooked in all the mainstream hex key sets. The torque pressure the keys can handle is rated to 630 in-lbs which we were told is more than the human hand can physically create.  The SAE version will be available at launch as well.

Dewalt High Tension Hacksaw DWHT20547 – This hacksaw looks pretty strait forward, nice rubberized handles in the front and rear as well very sturdy construction but it also has several surprises. For starters the blade release lever is very simple to operate, inside is the tensioner which can be adjusted with two fingers, up to 330 lbs, so blade changes are a snap.

The transformer like structure of this saw reveals a lot more trickery with the front end piece coming off this saw easily becomes a low profile hacksaw. The front handle then can also double as a jab saw that uses any standard reciprocating saw blade.

To top it all off there is on board storage in the top for additional hacksaw blades as well as reciprocating saw blades. Not that this would re a replacement for all those tools but in a jam it always nice to know those options are available.

These are two pretty good examples of the Dewalt team and Stanley team working together to add innovative new features to this new line of hand tools launching as we speak. Will some of these features also go to their Stanley & Bostitch Hand Tool lines eventually, certainly if they are successful. Regardless of which package the tools come in as long as they keep making better tools so we can do our jobs better we’ll be happy.
    

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 06:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yes we did cover this a few weeks ago in a post announcing the new Bosch PS60-2A reciprocating saw. But thought we would share a few pictures now that both items are actually on the shelf so you could see just how close the Bosch is to the Milwaukee 2420-21 ($129, Ohio Power Tool). Please don’t get us wrong we really think both of these tools are awesome for their respective 12V lines, we just personally got a big kick out of the similarity.

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 02:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The previous version of this tool, Bosch PS10-2A driver, had a ¼” hex head on it but also articulated 90 degrees with 5 stop positions. The new PS11-2A ($149, Ohio Power Tool) adds a 3/8” chuck to the tool along with a 20% torque increase to 101 in-lbs. Also the larger trigger is variable speed 0-1,300 RPM, an LED light has been mounted on top but the tool remains a very light package at around 2.75 lbs.

The adjustable pivoting chuck is really nice, the reason right angle drills are so popular is because they add more flexibility in getting into tight spaces. Being able to rotate the head makes it so much more versatile than a any other right angle drill out there. We also like the additional power however we would have liked to have seen more. For driving screws or small drill bits there is plenty of torque but we were really struggling to use a 3/4” DareDevil spade bit with it which is somewhat limiting. If only they could have found a way to pack the 265 in-lbs motor from the PS31-2A ($109, Ohio Power Tool) into this unit we would have had it all. Overall a very nice tool and an upgrade people have been wishing for a while now.
      

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 03:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)